Philosophy

G.K. Chesterton, chiefly known as the inventor of Father Brown's stories, actually discloses a deep philosophical attitude, which is especially detectable in his famous work Orthodoxy (1908). Starting from a chapter of this book (The Ethics of Elfland), this paper endeavours to show several elements of philosophical interest: intellect and imagination, logos and mythos, rationality and common sense are just some of the dichotomies which play a very significant role in these pages of Chesterton’s work. Thanks to a spirit deeply inclined to astonishment, and a style closely devoted to paradox, Chesterton overturns the focal points of each relationship, by showing that fantasy is often more consistent than reality. What one can suppose is that the core of truth – even more authentic than the truth achieved by logical reasoning – lies in the mythical-fairy narration.